Railway-switch.



No. 672 024. Patented A I6 0! c. B. vovnow.

RAILWAY SWITCH. (Application fllcd Jan. 24, 1901.)

{No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CONSTANTINE B. VOYNOW, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAI LWAY- SWITCH.

SPEGIFICATI ON-forming part of Letters Patent to. 672,024, dated April16, 1901.

Application filed January 24, 1901. Serial No. 44,515. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CONSTANTINE B. VOY-' NOW, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residingat the city of Philadelphia, in the county'ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which thefollowing is aspecification.

My invention has relation to a railwayswitch of the type or class knownas tongueswitches, and in such connection it relates to the constructionand arrangement of such a switch.

Heretofore in the construction of th'eordinary tongue-switch upon theheel ofthe tongue was formed'adepending pin of either cylindrical orinverted conoidal shape fitting into a complemental recess or openingformed in the switch-block. The tongue of the switch was held inposition by its own weight. When the wheel of a car passed over such aswitch, it first jumped from the solid rail onto the heel, then traveledalong the tongue, and jumped from the point of the tongue to the solidrail, or vice versa. The tongue was thus subjected to two blows, one ateither end of the switch, which caused the tongue to seesaw on its bedand subjected the bed and tongue of the switch to a pounding operation,thus wearing away both in a short time. Then, furthermore, the motion ofthetongue due to the pounding, switching, and side blows from the wheelsand traffic speedily wore away the bearing-surface of the pin and of thesocket in which the pin turned.

The principal object of my present invention is to obviate theabove-stated objectionable features of a tongue-switch and to providemeans for taking up the wear on the pin and socket and at the same timeto always hold snugly the tongue down against its own bed to prevent anyrocking of the same. To

accomplish this object, the pin of the tongue;

is made of conical form, with the base of the pin of wider diameter thanits root, and the bevele'd'periphery of the pin is engaged by abearing-block havingits interior recessed and shaped to conform to theexterior of the pin and to bear thereon, said bearing-block beinginserted in the switch-block and capable of adjustment therein to clampagainst the periphery of the pin and .to draw the pin .larged, taken onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

down into the block or to maintain always the tongue snugly against itsbed.

The nature and scope of my invention will be more fully understood fromthe following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, forming part hereof,

in which- Figure 1 is a top or plan View of a railway.- switch embodyingmain features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, en-

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the split washer interposed between the pinof the tongue and the switch-block. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of oneportion of the bearing-block; Fig. 5 is a similar view of a portion ofthe sleeve or bushing surrounding the depending pin of the heel. Fig. 6is a similar view of the bolt or screw for adjusting the bearing-block,and Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views illustrating a modified form of theinvention.

Referring to the drawings, a represents the switch-block, in whichoscillates the tongue b, having a heel b and point b From the heel bdepends a conical pin d, the base whereof is of larger diameter than theroot or point where the pin and heel unite. The switch-block a, has arecess or opening a to receive the pin d, and between the inclined beforced down upon and inwardly against the conical periphery of the pind,thus clamping the periphery between the wedge-shaped members of theblock e, as well as holding the pin 01 and heel 1) down upon theswitchblock a. The upper end of the recess a is sufficiently wide topermit the wedges of the bearing-block e to be readily inserted, and asplit block or washer g is inserted between the upper edge of the recessco and the heel I thus bridging over the recess a and forming a base orhearing for the heel b. Upon the periphery of; the pin 01 is preferablyarranged a split thimble or sleeve h, of steel, within which the pin mayturn. This sleeve h is connected to the bearing-block e to preventturning in any suitable manner. The lower edge of each wedge-shapedportion of the bearing-block e is provided with a ledge or flange 6,extending inwardly and adapted to be engaged by the grooved head (2 of ascrew-bolt Q The head 2 is preferably formed with a square slot 6 toreceive a key for turning the head and bolt. In Fig. 2 thescrew-threaded end of the bolt 6 is adapted to be advanced in the baseof the switchblock, whereas in the modification illustrated in Figs. 7and 8 it enters a threaded block a inserted in the switch-block. The keyfor turning the head c and bolt 6 is adapted to be introduced through avertical opening 6 traversing the heel b and pin d.

The arrangement and location of the tightening-bolt a so that it isindependent and separate from the pin cl of the switch, preventaccidental loosening or unclainping of the pin d in its oscillationwithin the bearing-block. The use of a split sleeeve hupon the peripheryof the pin d while desirable is not necessary and may be dispensed with.

Having thus described the nature and object of my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

I. In a railway-switch, a tongue having a depending conical projectionconstituting the pivot for the tongue and said pivot having an openingextending therethrough, the base of said projection being of largerdiameter than its root, a recessed switch-block arranged to receive theprojection, and means for con fining said projection in saidswitch-block.

2. In a railway-switch, a tongue having a depending pivot provided withan opening eX- tending therethrough and the form of said pivot beingconical and having its larger diameter at the base.

3. In a railway-switch, a tongue having a downwardly depending conicalpin, a recessed switch-block arranged to receive said pin, abearing-block adapted to surround the periphery of the pin and to bearthereon, said bearing-block interposed between the pin and theswitch-block, and means for movingsaid bearing-block in the switch-blockto both clamp the pin and to hold said pin in the switch-block.

4. In a railway-switch, a tongue having a depending conical pin, arecessed switchblock adapted to receive said pin and a block or washerbridging the recess in said switchblock.

5. In a railway-switch, a switch-block, a tongue having a dependingconical pin with an opening extending thcrethrough at its heel portion,a split block or washer arranged to receive said pin and to support saidheel portion and means for confining said pin in said switch-block.

6. In a railway-switch, a switch-block, a tongue having a dependingconical pin at its heel portion, a separate split block or washerforming a base for the heel of the tongue, and means for confining saidpin in said switchblock.

7. In a railway-switch, a switch-block, a tongue provided with adepending pivot having an opening extending therethrough, a block orwasher adapted to receive said pivot and means for confining said pivotin said switch-block.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my signature in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CONSTANTINE B. VOYNOW.

Witnesses:

J. WALTER DOUGLASS, THOMAS M. SMITH.

